“Every spiritual tradition has this idea of death and resurrection. It’s not unique to Christianity.”
~ Deepak Chopra
Happy Easter Monday! It’s a holiday here in the Virgin Islands, and government offices are closed.
And to be honest, I don’t know why ….. So here we go …..
Easter Sunday for many Christians is the culmination of a holy month, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.
While it is appropriate for Jesus’ resurrection to be celebrated on a Sunday, the day on which Jesus’ resurrection is celebrated should not actually be referred to as “Easter”.
The idea of rebirth in the spring season, along with many customs, comes from older observances.
Easter actually comes from an early German/Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn-rebirth of the year, Eostre.
Her symbol was a rabbit that laid eggs. Eoster, comes from the Latin root, estrus, the time when animals are in heat, and oestrus, a time when sensual desire is heightened, the sap rises, and fertility reigns. Under a full moon, such as the pink or red moon which we just had, playful passion is supposedly unleashed.
For wondering minds, we don’t actually know when Jesus died. Most people believe that Jesus died on a Friday, but some (Wednesday Crucifixionists) believe that Jesus actually died on a Wednesday. Sunday would seem appropriate for his body to have risen, I suppose.
And according to my research, the ancient Roman Catholic Church mixed the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection with celebrations that involved spring fertility rituals. The church’s rationale being, “the more we focus on Christ, the less we focus on the pagan holiday”.
Francine Rivers writes: “It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all and showing us over and over again the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his only Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord. It was like a best-loved story being told day after day with each sunrise and sunset, year after year with the seasons, down through the ages since time began.”
Worldwide though, today is known as”Bright Monday” or “Renewal Monday”.
It is customarily a day for visiting family and friends and “day drinking”.
Pre-Christian religions are replete with dying and rising gods …
Dionysius, most commonly thought of as the Greek god of wine, is one such example. He was lured to his death by the Titans, who then boiled and ate him. He was revived by his grandmother, and from his ashes humanity was formed, the Greeks believed.
In Egypt, the ancient festival of Sham El Nessim is celebrated today as an Egyptian national holiday rather than as a religious one. Sham El Nessim literally means “smelling of the breeze”. The festival dates back to Pharonic times (about 2700 BC). Osiris – an Egyptian god-king who became ruler of the realm of the dead – was slaughtered before being brought back to life by Isis. Traditional activities include painting eggs.
In the Republic of Ireland it is a day of remembrance for the men and women who died in the Easter Rising which began on Easter Monday 1916.
In Guyana, people fly kites, which are made on Holy Saturday. It’s a perfect day to watch “Saving Mr. Banks”, the story of Walt Disney’s miraculous making of Mary Poppins.
In the Netherlands, people eat a festive breakfast and go hiking or cycling in the countryside.
I for one am happy I don’t have to go to work today. I was up late, and having my own resurrection of sorts on Facebook. I was listening to the music of U2. Their music speaks to me very deeply, and I posed the question ….
“What song/band would you like to have played when you die??”
My own selection from U2 ranges from their entire album WAR (Sunday, Bloody Sunday!) to “It’s A beautiful Day”. I think the Irish were totally speaking to me last night!!!
I love my Ohio rocker peeps who stepped up to the question. They are a pretty morbid group though …. !!
Replies included Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb, My Chemical Romance’s Dead, Metallica’s Fade to Black, Queensryche’s Take Hold of the Flame, Aerosmith’s Dream On.
I came back with Pearl Jam’s Black, from the album “No Rear View Mirrors”
Today is a day to celebrate.
Whatever it is, resurrect yourself.
Let’s go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let’s go fly a kite …. 🙂
